First Khaganate Turkic Khaganate

the origins of turkic khanate trace 546, when bumin qaghan made preemptive strike against uyghur , tiele groups planning revolt against overlords, rouran khanate. service expected rewarded rouran princess, marrying royal family. however, rouran khagan, yujiulü anagui, sent emissary bumin rebuke him, saying, blacksmith slave. how dare utter these words? anagui s blacksmith slave (chinese: 鍛奴; pinyin: duànnú) comment recorded in chinese chronicles, claim göktürks indeed blacksmith servants rouran elite, , blacksmith slavery may have indicated form of vassalage within rouran society. according denis sinor, reference indicates türks specialized in metallurgy, although unclear if miners or, indeed, blacksmiths. whatever case, turks slaves need not taken literally, represented form of vassalage, or unequal alliance.

a disappointed bumin allied western wei against rouran, common enemy. in 552, bumin defeated anagui , forces north of huaihuang (modern zhangjiakou, hebei).

having excelled both in battle , diplomacy, bumin declared himself illig khagan of new khanate @ otukan, died year later. son, muqan qaghan, defeated hephthalite empire, khitan , kyrgyz. bumin s brother istämi (d. 576) bore title yabgu of west , collaborated sassanid empire of iran defeat , destroy hephthalites, allies of rouran. war tightened ashina clan s grip on silk road.

the appearance of pannonian avars in west has been interpreted nomadic faction fleeing westward expansion of göktürks, although specifics matter of irreconcilable debate given lack of clear sources , chronology. rene grousset links avars downfall of hephthalites rather rouran, while denis sinor argues rouran-avar identification repeated article article, book book no shred of evidence support .

istämi s policy of western expansion brought göktürks europe. in 576 göktürks crossed kerch strait crimea. 5 years later laid siege chersonesus; cavalry kept roaming steppes of crimea until 590. southern borders, drawn south of amu darya, bringing ashina conflict former allies, sasanian empire. of bactria (including balkh) remained dependency of ashina until end of century.